Is this normal AC behavior?

[Wattsisname]

Fan speed 8 seems normal to initially cool down a hot cabin, but excessive to maintain temp. I would suggest using Auto because it will figure out where to blow the air, whether to recirculate or use fresh air, and what the best optimal fan speed is.

Have you changed the two cabin air filters since purchasing your Model Y? These filters should be changed at least every 2 years. (I just changed the cabin air filters in my Model Y after two years. The old filters looked clean but I noticed increased air flow from my Model Y HVAC vents after changing the cabin air filters. (My theory (unproven) is that the Tesla Model HVAC system can detect a drop in airflow due to a blocked cabin air filter. After changing the filters it takes some time for the HVAC system to recalibrate the fan speed for the improved airflow.)

Park in the shade whenever possible. (Ceramic tint and sunshade only delay the rise in cabin temperature above 120F while parked in the sun (unless you set Cabin Overheat protection with AC to be On.)

Precondition the Tesla Model Y for 4 or 5 minutes before driving, preferably while plugged in.

Set the HVAC to Auto and your preferred cabin temperature (69F to 72F for my Model Y in warm weather.)

Set the Fan Speed to Medium or High. (In the HVAC Auto setting the HVAC Fan Speed setting (Low/Med/High) functions as a speed limiter not a fixed speed. Fixed fan blower speeds from 1 to 10 only apply when the Climate Control is set to Manual.

Turn on Recirculate Cabin Air so that the AC does not have to work as hard. The Tesla Voice commands are "Recirculate" and "Fresh Air".

What was your mileage at the change? Is the need to change cabin filters a function of time or usage - miles driven that is. Of course, the filter material will degrade with time but I would have thought the filters in a low mileage car would last longer than two years.
The air-con in our seems fine and the cabin is odour free.
But, I stand ready to be corrected/ advised.

Then again....... My paranoid tendency wonders If, as you say, your filters were clean, then perhaps the issue was a software nudge at two years to encourage a filter change by affecting a/c performance. ( To far fetched)

 

[gsmith123]

Is the need to change cabin filters a function of time or usage

Usage time. The filters don't degrade with age, per se, unlike some automotive components. It's not necessarily a function of just mileage; hours of operation are probably a better metric since HVAC can run with the car stationary.

The amount of dirt and dust in the air makes a big difference too. Drive a lot of dirt roads and the filters will look pretty nasty.

 

[jcanoe]

The recommended change interval for the cabin air filters is 2 years. Some may have to change the cabin air filters more frequently. Two years was the change interval before the HEPA filter was added. With the HEPA filter the cabin air filters should only be filtering cabin air. Dust and dirt on shoes, pet dander, food particles and smoke will all create particles that end up trapped by the cabin air filters. I just changed the cabin air filters after 2 years, only 10k miles. The used filters looked clean and there was no odor. I did notice improved airflow once the new filters were installed. I use the Basenor filters with the activated charcoal, not the Tesla cabin air filters. I also used ClimaClean HVAC cleaner to clean the evaporator coil and filter box. My Model Y is parked in my home garage. The first time I changed the OE Tesla filters was at ~2 years. There was a mold odor starting at about 22 months on the OE filters, when starting to drive. I usually precondition before driving so if there is a mold odor it is not detectable after ~4 or 5 minutes when I enter the Tesla Model Y.

 

[DrDiesel1]

Usage time. The filters don't degrade with age, per se, unlike some automotive components. It's not necessarily a function of just mileage; hours of operation are probably a better metric since HVAC can run with the car stationary.

The amount of dirt and dust in the air makes a big difference too. Drive a lot of dirt roads and the filters will look pretty nasty.

I run my car in recirculation mode 100% of the time. This will also affect filter load/life.

 

[SkyDog]

Have you changed the two cabin air filters since purchasing your Model Y? These filters should be changed at least every 2 years. (I just changed the cabin air filters in my Model Y after two years. The old filters looked clean but I noticed increased air flow from my Model Y HVAC vents after changing the cabin air filters. (My theory (unproven) is that the Tesla Model HVAC system can detect a drop in airflow due to a blocked cabin air filter. After changing the filters it takes some time for the HVAC system to recalibrate the fan speed for the improved airflow.)

Park in the shade whenever possible. (Ceramic tint and sunshade only delay the rise in cabin temperature above 120F while parked in the sun (unless you set Cabin Overheat protection with AC to be On.)

Precondition the Tesla Model Y for 4 or 5 minutes before driving, preferably while plugged in.

Set the HVAC to Auto and your preferred cabin temperature (69F to 72F for my Model Y in warm weather.)

Set the Fan Speed to Medium or High. (In the HVAC Auto setting the HVAC Fan Speed setting (Low/Med/High) functions as a speed limiter not a fixed speed. Fixed fan blower speeds from 1 to 10 only apply when the Climate Control is set to Manual.

Turn on Recirculate Cabin Air so that the AC does not have to work as hard. The Tesla Voice commands are "Recirculate" and "Fresh Air".

In addition to the above tips, you can turn on the passenger side air vents even if no one is in the passenger seat - just tap those vents on the touchscreen. I find that this helps cool the car down quicker sometimes.